Meet the Retailer LillianDaph

We welcome the Saltburn by the Sea store LillianDaph to take part in our Meet the Retailer feature so we can find out a little bit more about their beautiful store, what exciting things they have planned and what they look for in new brands.

1. Tell us about LillianDaph?
It was mountains of research during her Textile degree, and probably an inescapable family gene in business; and not forgetting a super dedicated husband, Labrador named Daphne and Spaniel named Lillian, that saw the birth of The LillianDaph Store.
Exposure to so much quality design, yet a lack of access to it up here in the North East drove Christina to frustration, believing she could not be the only interior-obsessive in the area.
Safe to say this quickly became a mission; to bring good quality and well-designed interiors to the North East.
Often wondering why ‘The North’ is perceived as left behind or uninterested in design, LillianDaph is built on the metaphor that as humans, ‘We don’t know that we want the cake until we see it on the counter.’ Through LillianDaph, it is Christina’s aim to show you options you may have never considered.

2. What you look for in brands/products in your store?
We are obsessed with anything that makes you take a second glance; tactile finishes, super shiny surfaces and unusual forms. Whether that is vessels, furniture or even just scent- we aim for the items we curate to inspire reinvention…
Reinvention. What is this word? We basically want to open your eyes to a world of interior choices you perhaps don’t know exist and show you just how many options are out there. We want to provoke you to question ‘the norm’, and dare yourself to try a little reinvention. This quality is a must in all of our products.

3. Do you attend any retail trade shows and if so which ones?
Yes, we try to attend all the UK trade shows, including Autumn/ Spring fair, Pulse, Top drawer and of course Home and Gift. Next year we aim to Visit Maison Objet.

4. How important is presentation?
To us presentation is everything. It's about being so much more than a 'shop' and really striving to create an experience for the shopper. We have product change arounds very often as this helps different products be seen and creates that new experience every time someone visits the store. We also really aim to inspire our customers. We curate displays that help the customer visualise how the products can work within a setting or next to other products, or even in a colour way for example.

5. The next big thing?
For us, is our brand new website. We have just recently launched our own online retail space and now we are continuing with fine tuning of it. We aim to take all our own product photography and so have just purchased the required kit which is really exciting. As a small independent business it is super important for us to remember why this was all started. As we grow, we aim to retain our passion and integrity, however we have big plans. The Lillian Daph Vision is simple; to remain a small indie business, but to deliver a professional, slick service that we hope the website will help us achieve. Having said that, my heart will always be in the bricks and mortar store.

6. Your typical customer?
A Lillian Daph shopper strives to enjoy small pleasures. They are very much aware of how their home makes them feel, and the impact it can have on their well-being. They enjoy arts, music, entertaining, cooking and good wine; and their home style is individual. They like something a little different that cannot be easily picked up on the high street, and despite wanting value for money, they appreciate spending a little more on something they simply cannot live without. They are not materialistic, more over they simply enjoy having nice pleasures.